Credit Counselors: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Business and Financial Operations · SOC 13-2071 · O*NET 13-2071.00
Advise and educate individuals or organizations on acquiring and managing debt. May provide guidance in determining the best type of loan and explain loan requirements or restrictions. May help develop debt management plans or student financial aid packages. May advise on credit issues, or provide budget, mortgage, bankruptcy, or student financial aid counseling.
Credit Counselors fall under the Business and Financial Operations category in the U.S. occupational classification. Credit Counselors earn a median salary of $50,480 per year, ranking in the top 61% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +3.3% job growth through 2034, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Entry into this field typically requires a bachelor's degree, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What do credit counselors earn?
The median annual wage for credit counselors is $50,480. That puts credit counselors at #497 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is around or below the U.S. median for individual workers, so career growth often depends on advancement into supervisory roles, specialization, or additional credentials. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
| 10th percentile (entry-level) | $38,980 |
| 25th percentile | $45,420 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $50,480 |
| 75th percentile | $61,760 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $77,920 |
| Median hourly wage | $24.27/hr |
Is credit counselors a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for credit counselors is +3.3%, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Employment is projected to move from approximately 31K positions in 2024 to 32K in 2034, a net change of 1K. Average growth signals a healthy, resilient occupation that mirrors broader U.S. employment trends. Job availability tends to track regional economic conditions.
What do credit counselors do every day?
According to O*NET task surveys of working credit counselors, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.
- 1.Calculate clients' available monthly income to meet debt obligations.
- 2.Assess clients' overall financial situations by reviewing income, assets, debts, expenses, credit reports, or other financial information.
- 3.Maintain or update records of client account activity, including financial transactions, counseling session notes, correspondence, document images, or client inquiries.
- 4.Create action plans to assist clients in obtaining permanent housing via rent or mortgage programs.
- 5.Review changes to financial, family, or employment situations to determine whether changes to existing debt management plans, spending plans, or budgets are needed.
- 6.Teach courses or seminars on topics, such as budgeting, management of personal finances, or financial literacy.
- 7.Conduct research to help clients avoid repossessions or foreclosures or remove levies or wage garnishments.
- 8.Explain general financial topics to clients, such as credit report ratings, bankruptcy laws, consumer protection laws, wage attachments, or collection actions.
Top skills for credit counselors
O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.
What education does my child need to become credit counselor?
The standard path into credit counselors begins with a bachelor's degree in a related field, followed by entry-level experience or internships during college. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Based on O*NET surveys of incumbents — what people in this job actually have, not what employers list as required.
Related careers your child might also consider
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about credit counselors
What is the median salary for credit counselors?
The median annual salary for credit counselors is $50,480 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is credit counselors a growing career?
BLS projects +3.3% growth for credit counselors from 2024 through 2034, which is average growth projected to grow at roughly the US average.
What education does my child need to become credit counselor?
The typical entry path requires a bachelor's degree, plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to credit counselors?
Related occupations within the Business and Financial Operations category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 release.